Sunday, April 15, 2007

Low Sunday

Greetings dear readers! :)

Here's a short post on the gospel reading on this, Low Sunday from Alone with God by Fr Heyrman SJ, aptly named to end the octave of the feast of Easter (Easter Week) when contrasted to High Sunday (Easter Sunday - last week) - dear me, time flies fast! (and we must remember again that time is ETERNITY - we shouldn't waste it).

1. On the eighth day after Easter, the Apostles once again were gathered together in the Cenacle, and this time Thomas was with them. Notwithstanding the unanimous testimony of his brethren he stubbornly refused to believe in the Resurrection. Suddenly Jesus stood in their midst, and straight away addressed Thomas.

2. Petition: The grace to be, and ever to remain, one of those whom Jesus called blessed because they have not seen and have believed.

I. The Obstinacy of Thomas

We do not know why, but Thomas was not with the other Apostles when, on the evening of Easter day, Jesus appeared to them in the Cenacle. On his return to the group the others told him, “We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails and my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

These challenging words where prompted by the disappointment of a headstrong man. Thomas lacked neither generosity nor courage. When Lazarus lay sick, and Jesus spoke of returning to Judea, where their lives were in danger, it was he who had said to the others, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16). And now he is the only one who has not seen the risen Master; and this arouses his resentment. There might have been lamentable consequences if Jesus had not intervened.

Don’t we all know of such occasions, when we have made a mistake and, though in out heart of hearts we know better, we take shelter behind pretexts and sophistry; we are discontented, we know we are wrong but we are too proud to confess that we have erred? The sooner we plead guilty, in such cases, the better it will be for us.

II. Jesus Rescues Thomas

Just as in the case of the disciples of Emmaus, so here our Lord acts as the Good Shepherd who goes in search of the straying sheep and carries it back to the fold.

“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be to you. Then He said to Thomas, put in thy finger hither, and see my hands; and bring hither thy hand and put it into my side; and be not faithless but believing. Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God.” (Dominus meus, et Deus meus!)

No sooner had Thomas beheld Jesus looking at him with infinite love than his obstinacy vanished. The Master’s invitations to “lay his finger into the place of the nails” made him feel profoundly humble; he cast himself at the feet of Jesus and from the depths of his contrite heart uttered the most sublime profession of faith found in the Gospel, “My Lord and my God.” (Dominus meus, et Deus meus!)

Admire our Lord’s way: how, knowing Thomas thoroughly, He reached out, through the apostle’s flimsy armour of resentment, to his true nature so fundamentally generous and faithful.III. The Last Beatitude

“Jesus saith to him, Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.”

Thomas ought to have believed on the testimony of his companions without laying down any conditions. Far more meritorious had been the faith of John who, seeing the sepulchre empty and the linen cloths laid aside in an orderly manner, “saw and believed” that Jesus was risen.

“Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed.” On those words St. Augustine comments, “What he saw and what he touched was the man; what he acknowledged was the Divinity which he did not see and touch. But what he saw and touched destroyed his doubts, and made him believe in the Divinity.”

Therefore Jesus said: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.” We and all the generations that were not privileged to see Jesus when He was on earth, are grateful to Him for those words. Thirty years after those events St. Peter, writing to the Christian communities of Asia Minor, all converted Gentiles, said, “Rejoice … that the trial of your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by fire) will bring you praise and glory and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, you love; in whom also now, though you see him not, you believe: and believing shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorified; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).

And St. Paul to the Romans, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13).

Here below our happiness consists in loving Him, whom we have not seen.

Prayer:

Thy wounds, as Thomas saw, I do not see;YetThee confess my Lord and God to be.Make me believe Thee ever more and more;In Thee my hope, in Thee my love to store.

A little something by Beethoven

List of (Trad) Catholic Publishers

Notes, Notices, Disclaimer

Please feel free to email me, should you need any clarification, should you be in want of a discussion,
or if there are any copyright issues regarding any of the topics/posts that I've blogged about.

My commentary about, or linking to, any website, weblog, journal, essays as well as quotes do not necessarily imply my endorsement, but are only to be understood as my limited approval of the material as and to the extent identified.

I am just a nothing, serious!, and I do make many mistakes! If you spot any wrong, mis-interpreted, mis-used etc. doctrinal issues or issues that are against the only one,true Faith, please email me so that I can make the necessary changes.

O yes and I welcome any comments, please place them on my comments section for each post - but they will be subjected to moderation, if need be.

The new tag-board's up and running as I see it, friends (long lost or not), tag away if you please.:) - also subject to moderation (in case of spam)

Links to where you can find the recommended books have just been put up. :)

And, if blogging does become sporadic in the new year in 07, its only because of the time factor.(but I'm still here :D) Time is eternity! Make full use of it! Do take good care everyone! Have a Blessed Year ahead!!!

EvolutionOUT! I must say. :)

God Bless!

In Christo et Mariae!

Rachel Anne Thérèse

Checklist/New Stuff

What is love? Pilate asked Quid est veritas? What is truth? The answer to that question lies in pondering what really love is. There’s an old saying that love makes the world go round. Yes it does I will say right from the start. It is the very essence of the human spirit. Divine love takes this love a notch higher. It uplifts the soul. When you find this love, you comprehend a little what truth is. I can’t explain what truth is but when you find out the truth, when you ask questions and you get the correct answers, you will find, in your heart, that Veritas liberabit vos (John 8:32). Yes, the truth will set you free. It is a kind of liberation, when the knowledge sets in and knowledge then will bring understanding, then the love comes in and unites everything. So love is always the end product.

...You must wonder why I'm suddenly blogging on such a topic - on making Decisions.
... As I was walking ... to the exam hall for my most recently over CA ... , and after saying the Angelus, it came to me that our lives are also based on the decisions that we make...

...“Behold the Lord, the Ruler is come; and a Kingdom is in his hand and power and dominion.”(Introit of Epiphany). His heart, as shown to St. Margaret Mary in her apparition, with the symbols of love (the flames and the cross), and the symbols of sorrow (the wound and the crown of thorns), tell us that Christ desires to rule over families and societies through love...

..."Indeed,” says St. Augustine, “Jesus is not a King who levies tribute, marshals mighty armies, or puts his enemies to the sword; He is a King who reigns in the hearts, who promises eternal goods, who will lead into the Kingdom of heaven all those who believe, who hope, who love.”...

...My King gave me His Heart ... My King gave me His Life ... My King gave me His All ... what more do I want? Nothing, except Him and Him alone! Fiat voluntas tua!

et cetera, et cetera, et cetera..(Deo volente)

=) God Bless!

EvolutionOUT series

...the point is just to present to you, the dear blog reader, with the facts, evidence etc. that I've read or am studying about or thinking about, from a variety of sources ... about the facts and scientific experiments and explanations that will show things against evolution, things that many of us lack the knowledge of. As Pope Pius XII said...

"God is a Lamb that avails yon not, my Christian,
If you become not also a lamb of God.
The cross on Golgotha redeems not from evil,
If it is not also erected in thee;
The dear Christ's death aids you not, my Christian,
Until in Him and for Him you also have died:"
- Angelus Silesius

Lex orandi, Lex credendi - The Law of Prayer, is the Law of Belief

If you wish to labor with fruit in the conversion of souls,
you must pour the balsam of sweetness upon the wine of your zeal,
that it may not be too fiery, but mild, soothing, patient, and full of compassion.
For the human soul is so constituted that by rigor it becomes harder,
but mildness completely softens it.
Besides, we ought to remember that Jesus Christ came to bless good intentions,
and if we leave them to His control,
little by little He will make them fruitful.
- Saint Francis de Sales

"For the word of God is living and effectual
and more piercing than any two edged sword and reaching unto
the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and the marrow:
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature invisible in his sight:
but all things are naked and open to his eyes, to whom our speech is.
Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession.
For we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities:
but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.
Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace:
that we may obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid."
- Heb 4:12-16

In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum. - Psalm 30:2
In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be confounded.